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This
original oil painting was awarded "Best of the Best" for
Aviation Week & Space Technology Aerospace Art competition at the
American Society of Aviation Artists juried exhibition, held at the Mighty
8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, 2002.
Captain
Don Gentile and Lieutenant John Godfrey are depicted on 16 March 1944
during their target support mission to the outskirts of Munich.
Assigned to B Flight in the 4th Fighter Group's 336th Fighter
Squadron, Gentile and Godfrey would become the 8th Air Force's most
celebrated fighter element by virtue of their mutually supportive tactics.
Heralded
by the Air Force as the top leader/wingman duo in the European Theater of
Operations (Winston Churchill referred to them as the "Damon and
Pythias of the 20th Century"), the two would combine to shoot down 16
enemy aircraft between 8 and 29 March 1944, including six on one mission!
The
pair would not hunt together on this day, however, as Gentile's
"Shangri-La" would be forced back to Debden due to engine
troubles that would keep it out of action until early April. While they
would fly together again, this was the fourth and final mission in which
the two would participate in their now famous personal P-51B Mustangs.
Gentile
would take VF-T into combat on only three more occasions, downing three
FW-190's on 8 April.
Godfrey would fly VF-P through 5 April at which time it was removed
from service. Gentile ended the war with 21.83 aerial victories to his
credit and Godfrey with 16.33 aerial victories. Price
for this limited edition 22"x27" print is $125.00 plus $10.00 shipping.
Available directly from Dom DeNardo. |
